February Sweater: Skinny Cat Memorial

I love my February sweater.

Pattern: Generic top-down raglan with my custom chart. 1×1 ribbing on collar, cuffs, and hem.

Yarn: 8 skeins Vera Videnovich 2-ply sport natural dark brown corriedale and 1 skein silver corriedale; 3/4 ounce handspun made from about 2/5 Skinny fur (the sweater’s namesake) blended with 3/5 Art Club Malt Balls combed top (RambouilletXCormoXCorriedale).

Notes: I thought this was going to be a tight sweater, but it grew a bit in the wash (and also on the needles–the colorwork was so tight that I found myself with way more fabric than expected once I worked down the torso). Now it’s a really comfy, roomy sweater, but thanks to the waist and hip shaping, it’s not all clunky and baggy, just nice and roomy and cush. I’m even into the overlong sleeves. The hip shaping was done with raglan-type increases, which are an elegant way to increase quickly for big hips. The stitching at the wrist and hem used the Skinny fur yarn.

What I learned: Next time I do stranded colorwork, I’ll definitely use longer needles. The stitching on the sleeve, spread out on 16″ circulars, is worlds better than the main work, bunched up on 24″ circulars. If I made an other sweater where the pattern started a little way down from the neck like this, I’d probably use a provisional cast-on and work my way up from the design after the fact, to better match the overall tension. Using longer needles may make that a non-issue, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. This worked out okay because of the irregular nature of handspun, but in a smoother yarn, the looser tension about the yoke would probably annoy me enough that I would have had to tear it back. Also: start with more yarn.

13 Replies to “February Sweater: Skinny Cat Memorial”

  1. I love this. I love the idea of a memorial sweater, and I love that you were able to incorporate some of Skinny’s own fur. There’s a part of him there that will always be with you.

    Oh, and the way it fits just blows my mind.

  2. WOW. I love your sweater and the meaning it has. I have been collecting cat hair from my own 2 Maine Coon Cats to possibly have added to some fiber to spin someday. And I am always on the lookout for adult patterns with a cat motif. Would you consider sharing your pattern???

  3. I love your Skinny Bones memorial sweater. Do you have the generic top down pattern (sans your custom chart of course). I haven’t had much luck finding one that I like, and I do like your pattern. Thanks! Susan

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